


The Challenges of a Bi-Dimensional Mafia Boss; Life, Love and an Overly Enthusiastic Baby Sister

by GatoradeGuru



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alludes to death, Alludes to gore, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boiling Isles ToH, Demon Realm (The Owl House), F/F, First Major fan fic, I don't live in NY, IRL Inspired areas, Lucia is 20, Lucia is a good older sister, Luz is 14, Mafia AU, Magic, Mention of Death, Mother-Daughter Relationship, New York State, OC minor characters - Freeform, Pre-Canon, Shaky Mother-Daughter Realtionship, Sister AU, Sister-Sister Relationship, The Human Realm (The Owl House), The Owl House - Freeform, There are no humans so I have to work with it, sister bonding, toh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:53:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29479500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GatoradeGuru/pseuds/GatoradeGuru
Summary: Lucia is a Mafic Boss with an in too another dimension that gives her a hefty leg up! Though things come with said gains. Such as Love interest, Life in general, and an overly enthusiastic baby sister who would LOVE said dimension but not the price that comes with it. Lucia tries to balance all three with navigating her life. Sure some small twist comes into her plan and a few major ones! Who knows what will come about.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Lucia Noceda/Amelia Blight
Comments: 7
Kudos: 41





	1. Introducing Lucia, The Crime Lord

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for clicking! this is my first major fanfic! Please leave reviews and tell me what you think! I'll try to get the chapters out in a timely schedule.

Being a Bi-dimensional kingpin wasn’t too hard, but being a Bi-dimensional kingpin while keeping it from your baby sister, now that, that’s a challenge. A challenge that Lucia Noceda took on with confidence and gusto.

She sat, feet propped up on the desk and her bat within arm’s reach. In front of her was a surprisingly messy room for lack of clutter. Everything was askew; The shades behind her were half off the window, Papers were all over the floor, One chair was tipped over and another was broken in half. Though Lucia wasn’t at all phased by the mess.

The room itself was dead silent, like eerie early morning silence. Lucis sighed and brought her hand to her forehead then ran her fingers through her bangs. She looked up to the ceiling, the plaster was cracking and the far corner was stained from water damage. She made a mental note to fix it up a bit. 

Her feet swung off the desk, she waited for a moment before she stood up lazily. With bat in hand, she strode out the door. With a slow deliberate step, she made her way to the stairwell. Down one set of stairs, and another. Lucia stepped into a labyrinth of concrete passageways that she navigated with ease. She soon came to her destination; a non-discrete solid metal door. The only thing worth noting was the pieces of paper that had been taped to the frame. Lucia pulled off the paper carefully before stepping into the room. 

She internally groaned to herself and held a deadpan expression. The room itself had no windows. The walls, ceiling, and floor were the same concrete as the hallways. Some spots had a rusty brown tint to the surface in varying degrees of fade.

“So,” Lucia drew out. “You come in making demands and think you would walk out scot-free?” She chided mockingly, pivoting on her heels to get a better look at her handwork. A man nearly twice her size was slouched against the wall with his head lolled to one side. He wore a light gray suit that now had a hefty amount of bloodstains on the no doubt expensive fabric. 

He moved his head just enough to eye her, and if looks could kill. “You little bit--” he was cut off by the feeling of air escaping his lungs. He grabbed his throat as he choked trying to breathe. 

“You do not walk into my turf like you own the place. You do not make demands of me. You do NOT treat my guys like trash. And. You. Do. NOT! INSULT! ME!” Lucia picked her foot off of the chalk outline that was drawn on the floor. The moment she did the glow it admitted ceased. She scowled down at the man gasping and coughing for air. 

“What are you! A demon?” He screamed in terror with a pale face. Lucia barked a laugh and leaned closer slowly, bringing her bat off her shoulder. 

“Come on, are you really THAT dumb? I’d of thought you’d at LEAST assume I’m a witch.” She tsked her tongue mockingly as she walked towards him. While she readied it to take a swing. “No, I’m no demon, just made a few deals with some of them.” She swung her bat and a loud crack soon followed.

The door opened a few minutes later, Lucia looked up from wiping the red off her bat. In front of her were two people. one standing with her chin up and hands behind her back and the other scrambling to get in the same position instead of leaning against the wall. 

“Ma’am! Um, I didn't think you were the one taking care of our guest.” He nervously spoke as the girl next to him just rolled her eyes. 

Lucia pinched the bridge of her nose. “Listen, Aspen, don’t call me “ma’am” It’s way too stiff. Just call me “Boss” or even Lucia, I don’t give a damn.” Aspen nodded a few times, maybe a little too fast. To which Lucia sighed. “And chill out. I didn’t promote you so you’d be a scared little shit around me, grow a pair and relax. I don’t hurt my guys for leaning against a wall.” She then turned her head to the other one in the trio. “And Toni, stop being a professional boot licker. You need to relax just as much as he does.” 

Toni flushed slightly at the remark. “Yeah, uh, sorry boss. Didn’t mean to come off like that.” She let her hands fall to her side and sunk in on her slightly.

Lucia paused for a moment before speaking again “Anyway, Yeah, I wanted to personally take care of that waste of life. He needed to be dealt with and I want word to get out that I don’t let no one disrespect my guys like he did. Or I will come for their asses, personally.” She turned away from the two and started walking down the corridor. “Well come on, I wanna see how product is moving.” 

Soon the three made it to the upper-level of the building. Lucia walked out onto a balcony that looked out across the entire warehouse. The people below were loading boxes onto a non-discrete truck. “Toni, how long until the truck is ready for the finishing touches?” she queried.

Toni walked forward and peered towards it. “Last time I checked was about half an hour ago, It’ll be another ten minutes give or take.” 

Lucia nodded. “Alright then, how about you get ready.” Toni swiped a small circle in the air with her finger. As she did a blue light followed the motion and a small poof of smoke appeared by her ears. Once it cleared longer, sharper, elf-like ears were left in place, a telltale sign that she was a witch. 

Aspen shook his head in disbelief, “I will… never get used to that.” 

Lucia chuckled. “Welcome to the inner circle.” Lucia made her way down to the warehouse floor. While no one was looking she pulled out a piece of paper tapping the intricate glyph. The paper glowed after a moment and a briefcase phased into reality. She walked out behind a pile of boxes and made her way to the truck that had just been fully loaded up. 

“Alright, everything set?” A few of the guys seemed to tense up as she walked in while most just gave her a respectful nod of acknowledgment or a two fingers salute. One man spoke up, he had dark brown wavy hair messily cut to fall a few inches above his shoulders. He donned a five o’clock shadow and had a complexion a little lighter than Lucia’s. He looked at the paper in his hand. 

“Sure is, we just finished getting everything packed up “ He looked up with a hard-to-read expression. “Should I get all the newbies out?” he glanced at her and they seemed to have an unspoken conversation. He soon nodded and looked around. ‘Alright! listen up! Boss needs the room! Everyone who ain’t got a tat’ yet, clear out.” Lucia put down the briefcase and opened it up. Revealing it to be filled with cash. 

“One more thing.” She held up a strap of hundreds. “It’s Christmas, and my Latina ass takes the birth of Jesus seriously. With that said. Come get the bonuses Courtesy of Big-J.” with a few cheers and whoops a crowd formed itself around Lucia. She handed out cash like it was candy on Halloween as each person left. Once the place was empty she turned to see the man from earlier looking at her with a big grin. 

“Geez, you’re going soft.” he spoke his voice holding a heavy dose of sarcasm. 

Lucia just shrugged it off, “Eh, we made a shit ton more this year than last. I can’t spend most of it with the whole. “Slaughterhouse worker” salary… So why not give it to the guys that risk life and limb and have my back every day.” She waved towards Toni and Aspen who were watching from the balcony to come down. She heard a sigh behind her.

“Listen, I know you wanna protect your kid sis, but she’s what? Fourteen? You were thirteen when your dad pulled you in. Don’t you think it’s time to tell her? I mean if she finds out herself she’s gonna hate you. The longer you put it off the harder it’s gonna be.” Lucia gripped her bat slightly tighter and after a moment turned to face him. 

“If you were anyone else I’d of knee capped you.” 

“Oh, I know.” 

Lucia inhaled through her nose loudly. “With that said. Luz is a kid. I was a kid. Dad shouldn’t have roped me in so young anyway, but he did. Either way, I wasn’t some head in the clouds, nearly delusional teen who thought the world was perfect. I was getting into fights at school, when I even went. I already had smoked pot a few times, I already kinda had an idea of just who my dad was by how people looked at me. Luz, she’s none of that. I’m gonna keep her out of this for as long as I can. I hope I never rope her in, sure there is something to say for a family business but I couldn’t care less about that if it means protecting her.”

He grumbled and shook his head. “Whatever I guess.”

Lucia turned with a smirk. “I mean, I’d of been willing to take a little cousin under my wing and have your kid run the show. But you’re gay ass would never even if it meant keeping up appearances.” She snorted at the annoyed face her uncle was making.

“Will you shush. I’m closeted for a reason.”

Lucia sighed exasperatedly. “Dalvin, Listen I’m out, I’m Bi, I’m not shot. You’ll be fine.”

Dalvin grumbled. ‘First It’s Uncle Dalvin and second, It’s different.”

“How? How in any way is it different? Besides you being a coward and me not.” Lucia pinned him with a glare. Before any more words could be exchanged Toni and Aspen walked up. Toni threw a look at Aspen. 

“If you thought that little trick with the ears was epic, you’re gonna piss yourself.” She then walked closer to the truck, sparing a glance to make sure no unwanted eyes would see. Then, with both hands, made a large circle in the air. Where her fingers traced, blue lines appeared. The plain white truck shimmered like a reflection on a pond being disturbed, Then once settled in its place was a dairy truck. Full of meat, and frozen goods. Topped off with a picture on the side of the truck of a cow grazing in a green pasture.

Toni let out a quick breath seeming a tad spent. “That always takes a lot out of me.” She turned to the other three in the room. “This one should last a good two weeks before it fades.” Lucia raised her brow. “Someone’s been practicing, eh?” Toni shrugged and an annoyed look fell to her face. 

“Well not exactly. I had to choose a coven. I could of joined the emperor’s coven if I wanted but It would have been such a pain. They keep a lot closer eye on their members than any other. I mean, illusions are fine. And I like the track a lot also with it did come with a bit of a power-up. I’m just gonna miss the bard magic. It was fun to play guitar and while fighting a bunch of degenerate street trash at the same time. I haven't been spending magic on other tracks because I can’t. So I had a bigger bank to spend on this spell.”

Lucia and Dalvin both nodded along in agreement while Aspen looked helplessly lost. Lucia turned to look at him. “Don’t worry about it, you’ll understand soon enough. The second we can we’ll fully brief you. 

Aspen ran a hand through his sun-bleached hair, “Yeah I get it, I mean it’s a whole other world, literally. I kinda expected to not understand most of anything yet. Anyway, you told me to let you know when It was almost four, well it’s quarter till four now.” 

Lucia looked at her watch, which she had a habit to forget about. “Oh shit, you’re right. Okay, well I need to get going. Dalvin?” He nodded his head and gave her a joking salute. “I got it here, head out. You’ve been here since before dawn. I’ll call you if anything comes up that ya need to know.”  
Lucia took a simple flip phone out of her pocket when he said that. “I got a new burner and I already added you to contacts.” She clicked a button and Dalvin’s phone buzzed. “There, now you have it.” 

She waved back once over her shoulder as she made it out of the warehouse. From all angles, the large building looked like a slaughterhouse. It also was a decent way out of town and the only thing around was an old, out-of-use private airport. Anyone would get suspicious of most businesses this far from well, anything. But a smelly building that has to cart in live animals and ship out dead ones, was one hell of a good cover story. One her father came up with. The Noceda’s were great at expansion and building up the family business. 

Lucia’s great-great-grandfather was the first kingpin if you could even call it that, at the time the mafia was just a simple street gang in the Dominican republic. Her great-grandfather took over in the nineteen tens is what her dad told her. Right before America’s prohibition laws came into place. And what is the American dream if not seizing opportunity where others fail? So he decided to make some big bucks from the drought across seas. He made deals with the mafias of the United States making sure to be smart about who his partners were. Being a supplier to Al Capone’s group brought in some nice size paychecks.

Her grandfather then decided to take it a step further when he came to power. He took the plunge and went to America. He settled down in North Carolina. Most of the gang at that point was family so almost everyone followed. He decided instead of being so loud and big that you couldn’t stop them he sunk into the shadows. He kept his men quiet and everything even went under the noses of the cops. 

Then was when Lucia's father took charge In the later nineteen-nineties, one hundred years after his grandfather made his first deal. Just like everyone before him he expanded. But instead of moving or making some big trade deal, he brought in others from outside the family. He took what was a gang of maybe thirty and more than tripled it. He gained power and numbers while still staying in the dark. Only taking guys that his inner circle and family vouched for. He would approach you, not the other way around. And if anyone did come up by ‘word of mouth’ they’d be seen as a threat and dealt with. He ruled with a firm fist but was never cruel to his guys. He also took up the guise of the slaughterhouse. Painting trucks and all that, even buying cheap meat and repackaging it to keep up the facade. 

Then one night when Lucia was eighteen a deal went south. It was a shock to everyone’s system. An allied gang leader from a city nearby came by to talk with him. They ended up getting into a heated argument that started with words and ended with a smoking gun. Lucia had seen violence and been an active part of the mafia’s interworking for over two years, she’d seen some gruesome things. She was the first to get there when the gunshot rang out. His name was Ricky, she remembers, her first kill.

He was frozen in place, knowing quite well he just ended his life and the lives of anyone connected to him. He turned and Lucia caught his eyes as she grabbed the baseball bat on display on the office wall. She ran and slugged him as hard as she could in the side of the head. She heard a crack and she knew it was not from the wood.

She doesn’t remember much after that. Besides the shocked, almost impressed look of the two guys that came in after her. It was her Uncle and a close member of her father’s inner circle who neither tried to stop her; they fully understood what she was feeling. They just wished they had gotten a hit in before he died. So there she was, the youngest by far Kingpin.

Lucia was lifted from her trance as she pulled into the driveway. The sun was set now and it was getting colder by the minute. She adjusted her beanie so It would cover her ears and keep them from the frigid air. She grabbed the blood-stained apron from off the passenger seat, had to keep up appearances. She opened her car door and locked it before making her way to the front porch. She opened up the door to the smell of spices hit her, that only meant one thing. Mami was home and she was making something divine for dinner. Lucia’s mouth watered but before she took one step a weight crashed into her.

“¡Hola Lucia, Buenas Noches!” Lucia looked down at the tufts of brown hair against her chest and ruffled them affectionately. 

“Hola Luz.” She laughed as Luz pulled away to fix her hair, which was already messy and thrown everywhere before she ruffled it

“How was school?” She got out after chuckling. 

Luz’s face flustered from embarrassment and she looked down sheepishly. “I might have maybe kinda gotten suspended?” she phrased it like a question. 

At this Camila walked into the room and sighed tiredly. “Mija, what did you expect to happen? You can’t bring sharp objects to school.” 

Lucia’s eyes raised in shock at this. ‘You brought a knife? Geez Luz! And I thought we were nothing alike.”

Camila whipped her head around to stare at Lucia. “What does that mean!?” 

Lucia blanched and laughed nervously. “I mean, to be fair. It was kinda my thing and I never got caught?” 

Camila groaned and rubbed her forehead. “Oh, padre celestial ten piedad...” She grumbled as she walked back into the kitchen.

Lucia took the apron from under her arm and watched to the laundry room with it. Luz followed close behind. As Lucia set the washer Luz leaned in the door frame with her hands behind her back. “So why did you used to bring a knife to school anyway?” she asked with what sounded like concern.  
Lucia looked towards her younger sister. Her face was turned into a frown and her eyes held a slight fear, but not towards Lucia, more for her. Lucia smiled internally at that. The kids got too big of a heart. “For protection.” she mentally kicked herself, she didn’t mean to say that. 

Luz paled. “Wait what!? Why would you need a knife for protection? Were you getting bullied too? I don’t get why someone would bully you.” 

Lucia quickly cut her off, “wait what do you mean by bullied too. Is someone bullying you? Enough for you to think you’d need a weapon to deal with it? Is that why YOU brought a knife!” 

Luz shot her hands up in defense. “No no, I didn't even bring a knife! It was stupid really! It was just a dumb cosplay ring from an anime I watch! It just had like… a two-inch metal spike on it. That I mean, it COULD hurt someone but I wouldn’t!” 

Lucia rolled her eyes at this. Of course, she didn’t bring a knife, she thought. But the other question still ate at her. “Luz, are you getting bullied at school?”

Luz rubbed the back of her head.”Well… yeah, I’m the weird kid. People bully me but they always have. It’s nothing new, or too bad.” 

Lucia could feel her blood start to boil. “I could have a little ’chat’ with your bullies. How about you let me walk you to school tomorrow. Hmm?” 

Luz looked up, not seeming to fully grasp the connotations of her older sister's words.  
“But don’t you have work tomorrow? I don’t want you to get in trouble with your boss because of me.” 

Lucia mentally chuckled at this. Yes, to luz she was just a normal employee with a boss that could fire her. Lucia hadn’t had a real boss in her life. “Listen, I can use a vacation day It’s fine.”

Luz looked at her and gave a big toothy smile. “Alright, thanks you’re the best.”

From the other room, the siblings heard their mother call them both for dinner.

Dinner went like it normally did, quite loud and happy. Luz was told twice or so not to play with her food. Then Lucia was when she made her fries stink out of her mouth like fangs. Which caused Luz to have a laughing fit. That’s why Camilia gave up with a shake on her head and tried to force down a smile. 

The rest of the night went by fast. Lucia watched a football game with Luz, who still never understood the appeal. Lucia had explained the rules about ten thousand times but it never stuck. But during baseball season both siblings were glued to the couch whenever the Cubs were playing. Camila remembers a few years back when the cubs were in the world series it was all Lucia could talk about and Luz seemed almost as excited. When they won both girls screamed so loud that the next day they both had woken up to find they lost their voice.

Lucia laid in bed and opened up her phone. The small LED screen read 11:34. She had to get up before seven AM. Lucia clicked the burner shut and she was in darkness again. Her eyes soon adjusted and she looked out between her shades to the street light at the end of the road. 

Her brain trailed back to her conversation with Dalvin. She frowned to herself. Her mother had been in the dark until dad was shot. Why was it a problem to keep Luz in the dark? The only reason it was brought to light to Camila was It was hard to cover it up, he had been shot in the head so it had to be a closed casket wake. Camila was informed of the events and had gone ballistic. Though Lucia was already in too deep, that fact sure put a damper on the mother-daughter relationship.

For nearly a year Lucia had stayed at the warehouse full time. She had told Luz she went off to trade school. Camila could barely look at her, but last Christmas eve Camila had called her, She told her she wanted her to come home for the holidays. After that Lucia hadn’t stayed at the warehouse for more than forty-eight hours. Though during Christmas They had had a chat. Lucia pulled her away and before her mother could say anything she opened up, told her everything, and promised to do everything in her power to keep Luz in the dark and out of it at all costs. Camila hadn’t said a word but pulled her into a hug. She knew she wasn’t forgiven but it was the first step. Since then she hadn’t spent more than forty-eight hours straight at the warehouse.

Lucia felt a wetness roll down her cheek. She quickly brushed the tears away and huffed. She had a few hours to sleep so she decided to not waste them overthinking. Easier said than done. She spent the next hour tossing and turning before she finally got to sleep. Tomorrow would be fun, she gets to threaten some little brats who unknowingly made an enemy of a magic-wielding mafia kingpin who could easily, if provoked, erase them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summery: Lucia is shown at the warehouse with her 'coworkers' and some backstory into the Mafia is given
> 
> Note: I will be adding minor summary's here always without major spoilers. so if you forget what chapter you're on you'll be able to look here instead of skimming the entire fic!


	2. Ho Ho Hooky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for clicking back to my fic. I'm not sure how my update schedule will be yet so please bear with me. I planned on writing the entire thing out them uploading it once a week chapter at a time but due to a lack of judgment, I put chapter one out with not much else written yet. Hopefully, I'll be able to get chapters out at a decent pace. Though I'd rather have quality over quantity. I Hope y'all agree!

The ocean was calm and quiet. Far too quiet. Lucia gazed across the waters as her instincts rearing its head. her heart began to race for no apparent reason. She stood with bated breath as a cold sweat rolled down her forehead. Nothing happened. She sighed thinking the lack of sleep must be getting to her. 

She turned from the railing and walked towards the mast, but right as she began hoisting the sail an explosion rang out. She wiped around. an enemy ship not even half a notch away from her own. It must of been illusion magic! she thought to herself. Then she saw it. The mane of green and brown hair that was so distinct to her. Rage filled her but before she could scream across the ocean a loud repetitive ringing sounded. she looked to the skies. Had whatever god out there sent it from the heavens? what was that?

And then she woke up. "Really? A dream about Pirates? Gee, Luz's imagination is infectious..." Her alarm blared next to her. Lucia turned her head to see the time. It was already quarter after seven. She had incorporated her alarm into her dream for a solid ten minutes. “Oh, Damn!” Lucia scrambled out of her bed getting her feet caught in her blanket and tumbling to the floor. “Shit!” She fumbled getting up, her alarm still blaring. She grabbed hold of the small black box and threw it against the wall. It cracked and thudded to the floor, It’s screen was broken and glitching yet it did not cease blaring. 

Luz was in the kitchen sipping a cup of steaming tea. She glanced at the kitchen stove, the clock face on it said it was 7:10. Luz had made breakfast for both her and Lucia. She hadn’t been able to cook her older sister breakfast much since she had gotten her job. She was always out of the house before Luz woke up. Luz smiled and sipped her tea again. Any moment now Lucia’s alarm would go off. She always worked so hard and she deserved a few more minutes of rest. So, Luz had taken it upon herself to set it a few minutes later for her big sister. She stood up and went to pour herself a new cup of tea. As she did she heard the muffled beeping from upstairs. Then, a loud thud? Luz frowned and looked up the stairs. She mulled it over in her brain for merely a second before slowly making her to them. Halfway up she heard a crash and another slam, and another… and another. 

Luz quickened her pace and opened the door to Lucia’s room where all the noise was coming from. Before she could get a word out she was halted by the scene before her. Lucia was on the floor blanket still draped over her shoulder and slamming a broken, still ringing, alarm clock against the ground while screaming “¡Muere, máquina diabólica!”  
Luz wasn’t sure what to do. She’d always seen her sister as cool, calm, and maybe a little cocky, but this… she did the only reasonable thing to do. She snorted, loudly, and fell into a fit of giggles.

Lucia froze and looked over her shoulder with a palling face. She just stares for a moment frozen, the alarm clock raised over her head. ‘You saw nothing.” She whisper-shouted. 

Luz shrugged. “Mayhaps… Mayhaps not…” She giggled again and gave Lucia a mischievous grin.

Lucia groaned. “What do you want?” her voice strained and filled with regret. 

Luz giggled and walked into the room. “Welp… maybe I won’t tell anyone if…” she rested her chin in between her thumb and index finger. “A day off from school for us to hang out?” She asked as her eyes lit up.

“Nope.” Lucia stated quickly.

“Aww, why not?” Luz whined. “You always work weekends, We never get to just hang out…” 

Lucia sighed. ‘’You gotta go to school and Mami would have my hide if I let ya play hooky.”

Luz crossed her arms. “But you used to play hooky all the time with dad.”

Lucia bit her tongue. “Well… yeah but…” she couldn’t think of a good excuse. “Fine, fine. But if you tell Mami this will NEVER happen again.” 

Luz grinned at that. “So if I don’t tell Mom it will happen again?” 

“That isn't what I said!”

Luz giggled again. ‘Sorry! Can’t hear you over the alarm! Also, breakfast is getting cold!’

‘Luz! No that isn’t... Wait... breakfast? Damn it. Fine, I’m coming!”

Lucia made it down to the kitchen to see Luz sitting at the table already digging into her pancakes. Her own plate was stacked with eggs, bacon, and toast. She never was the biggest fan of pancakes which was a fact Luz knew it seemed She huffed out a laugh. “I would of eaten anything you would have made you know? You didn’t have to make all this.”   
Luz looked up from her plate and shrugged softly. “Wasn’t too much more work. I made the eggs and bacon while the pancakes cooked. So it didn’t take much longer.”

Lucia raised a brow and glanced towards the sink where a pile of dishes already sat. multiple pans, plates, bowls, and … is that a colander? Her shoulders sank at the sight of the mess. “Oh hell no, I know today is my day for dishes but you are doing those.”

Luz pinned her sister with a glare. “No swearing! It’s not even eight AM!” 

Lucia scoffed. ‘Don’t change the damn subject!’

“Then don’t swear! It’s way too early!”

“It’s never too ‘early’ to swear what the f--”

“Don’t you ever think about finishing that sentence! And that’s what an alcoholic would say!”

“You’re comparing swearing to drinking!? They are no way the same!”

“But an alcoholic would use that excuse to swear if they were in your place!”

“OH! So you’re comparing ME to an alcoholic?”

“Yup!” was all Luz could say before breaking into another giggle fit. Lucia smirked and sipped her coffee.

Both of them were mostly silent as they ate the rest of their breakfast. Lucia was the first to finish, she put her plate in the already pile of dishes and turned to Luz. “So short stacks, what do you wanna do then?” She leaned against the sink and coked her head.

Luz made her way over and rinsed off her own plate. “What?” She spoke as she glanced up with a confused face. Lucia just rolled her eyes.

“What do you wanna do? You’re the one playing hooky so pick.”

Luz’s eyes brightened at this and her lips turned up into a big toothy smile. “Wait really? I can play hooky?” She bounced up and down on her toes in excitement. 

The older of the two just nodded slowly. “Well yeah? I’m pretty good at keeping my word. So what do you wanna do?”

Luz’s fist pumped the air excitedly. “Okay okay okay! The Barnes and Nobles in the Albany Mall! They just got a shipment of the new Azura books! Plus the other stores there are still cool!’

Lucia pinched the bridge of her nose. “Luz that is nearly two hours away. Think of something closer.”

Luz crossed her arms. “Yeah, and it’s not even eight AM. We’d get there by ten and have at least six hours before we’d have to leave. With mom driving it’d be two hours but with you driving….” 

Lucia face-palmed and groaned. “I am not speeding at a hundred again. I only drove like that because I thought you had a broken nose. Otherwise, I stay close enough to the speed limit.”

Luz barked a laugh. “Speed limit? So you know it’s the limit and not just a suggestion? Wow, you had me fooled!”

Lucia conceded with a huff. “Fine! Fine, we’ll go. But we get home before five.” Lucia walked over to the coat rack and took down her green jacket along with her beanie. Luz pulled on her sweatshirt and ran out in front of Lucia to the car. Lucia smirked and shook her head. She grabbed her sister’s Wallet, house keys, and phone before getting her own.

The car ride itself was pretty uneventful, besides the handful of times Lucia would lay on the horn and curse someone out in Spanish for being a ‘bad driver’. The two siblings jammed to music and struck up a few conversations. Soon they found themselves in a surprisingly busy parking lot for ten am on a Tuesday. 

Luz got out of the car before her sister could even turn it off. “Seems everyone’s already in the Christmas rush. Maybe we should get some gifts while we’re here too!” Lucia nodded along, honestly, that would be smart. She never had much time to herself to go Christmas shopping and everyone besides Luz and Mami always only got last-minute gift cards. “Yeah, that sounds like a good plan, Wait. Christmas is in only what? Two weeks? Why are you buying yourself this book? It would be a great gift.”

Luz looked at her sister like she’d grown a second head. “I can’t wait two weeks! Do you have any idea how many spoilers I’d get online if I did that? I need to be part of the action so there is no time to ‘Luz’!”

Lucia froze. ‘Did you really just--”

“Yes.”

“Ah… Okay…”

The two walked into the mall's main entrance, Lucia looked around for a directory. She spotted one and turned back to tell Luz to find her baby sister was already about a hundred yards away from her making a Be-line too who knows where. She let out an exasperated yet amused sigh as she started to jog to catch up to the energetic Latina. 

Lucia finally caught up just as Luz stepped into Barnes and Nobles. The store was bustling with people. Even more so than Lucia expected. Sure, it was Christmas but people didn’t read that much anymore, right? She looked around, still surprised by the number of shoppers. Luz pulled on her jacket sleeve. “Come on! It’ll be in the fantasy area.” Luz all but dragged her older sister through the busy store. They stopped in front of a display with a life-size cut-out of the good witch herself. Luz looked puzzled, The display was empty. “Maybe they haven't set it up yet?” She spoke with wavering optimism. 

Lucia noticed a date on the display saying it would have been available two days ago. “Stay here, I’ll go find someone to see if they can help.” Lucia smiled at Luz who nodded and turned her attention to the other books around her, Azura was her favorite but she still reads plenty of others. 

Lucia made it up to one of the registers. For so many people in the store, no one was at them yet. She waved towards the young man at the counter. He gave a friendly customer service smile and greeted her warmly. “Welcome to Barnes and Noble’s, can I help you with anything today ma’am?”

Lucia nodded once trying to keep herself from making a face at being called ma’am. “Yeah, you see, my and my little sister came here to get one of those copies of the new Azura book. Ya didn’t have any on the display.” The guy nodded with an apologetic look. “Yes, sorry about that. We had more demand than we assumed. It sold out pretty fast.” Lucia looked at the wall behind him. A promotional poster for the book was displayed, along with the words. “Pre-order today!” on it. “See the thing is, me and sis live about two hours away. Kinda don’t wanna waste the gas... You still have some here for those who pre-ordered right?”

The clerk frowned but nodded. ‘Well yes, we do. We see Pre-ordered as already sold stock.”   
Lucia nodded with a smirk. “Listen, I’m gonna be straightforward with ya.” She pulled out her wallet and pulled out a few hundred dollar bills “You get what? Minimum wage?” she spoke softly. “Get me one of those pre-orders from the back and consider the five benjamins in my hand a little tip.”

Lucia smiled at him politely as she passed him the bills. He looked at them with wide eyes. He glanced up at her then looked around. “I’ll go get that item for you,” he said and quickly made his way to the backroom.

Luz had not thought this through. She was carrying a stack of books and her arms were getting very tired. “Do you even have enough for all those?” Luz sighed in relief as Lucia picked up about half of the books. “Ummm, Not sure?” Luz admitted with a sheepish grin. “But if Azura is sold out I’ll have to have some distraction to keep me from the forums.” 

Luz could hear Lucia snicker and looked towards her where she was putting down the stack of books on a nearby table. She held up a brown wrapped package. The paper was held together with a Barnes and Noble’s sticker. “And that’s why you always plan ahead.” Luz’s eyes widened and she put her own books down and walked overtaking the package. “But the display was empty?” She questioned. 

Lucia looked away and shrugged. “Yeah well, I pre-ordered it a while ago. I planned on giving it to you for Christmas and didn’t know how it’d get it home today under your nose. But if you’re worried about spoilers or whatever, consider it an early Christmas gift.” 

Luz jumped in place before lunging forward and giving her sister a giant hug. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

Lucia smiled and gave her little sister a tight one-armed hug before pulling away. “Well, now that we got that. Wanna go shopping for others? I mean, when else will you be able to buy anything for Mami without her seeing?”

Luz smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. “I think I’m pretty good at hiding her gifts while shopping with her.”

Lucia deadpanned and shook her head.‘No, no you ain’t. Not at all.”

Luz huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms. “You could or at least went along with it jokingly. What about putting me down easy?” She looked away with a pout.

Lucia ruffled her sister's hair much to Luz’s annoyance. “Yeah no, I don’t pull punches you should know that by now squirt.”

Luz ducked out from under Lucia’s hand while patting her hair back down. “Anyway! Yeah, let’s go shop. But first…” She turned back to the table and took up the stacks of books. “These babies are coming with mama!” Luz then sped off in the direction of the check-out counters. 

Lucia just watched. She took one hand out of her jacket pocket and cupped it by her mouth. “I’ll meet you by the exit!” She yelled, much to the annoyance of those around her. One woman Lucia noticed glaring at her. She looked overly confident and preppy with dyed blond hair cut into an angled bob. So she flipped the Karen double birds before walking out of the store.

Luz didn’t take long checking out. The two made their way from store to store not sure what exactly they were looking for. Luz had picked out a few smaller items here and there but Lucia didn’t have as much luck. They sat at the food court both picking at what was left of their meals. Lucia broke the silence. “Hey, we went to most of the places here and it’s only been about an hour…” Luz cut her off checking her watch. “Closer to two hours but yeah.”

Lucia nodded. “Right, anyway, It’s still early. Would you want to go to the other mall? See if they have any better stuff?” Luz shrugged as she popped a fry into her mouth. ‘Sure, why not?”

They got up and made it back out with Lucia somehow ending up carrying all of Luz’s stuff. They loaded it in the car and drove across the city to the other mall. Luz giggled to herself. ‘“Why have two malls? Why not just combine them into a giant supper mall? It could be like four floors and be epic.”   
Lucia spared a glance as she slowed for a red light. “I don’t know. I didn’t build the city. But I heard there is one like that in Providence. I knew someone from there once. Five stories or something stupid like that.”   
Luz’s eyes widened. ‘Wow, that’s crazy.” Lucia only nodded as she pulled into the parking lot, This one was by far much busier. 

They found a spot a few rows back from the door and made their way inside. This time Lucia learned from her mistakes, she grabbed onto Luz’s arm before she could runoff. “Let’s find a directory first.” They spotted one and headed over. “Oh, there’s a Dicks Sporting goods. I kinda need a new bat.”

Luz pointed to a spot on the map. “Can we go to Journeys? My converse are getting worn out.” Lucia shrugged. “Yeah sure. I also should hit up a few different stores to see if I can find even one gift today.” With at least a basic plan the pair made their way further into the mall. Luz, ever energetic, took the lead with a bounce to her step that only someone still youthfully optimistic could manage naturally. Lucia lagged behind keeping an eye on her sister and the other window shopping trying to fine anything that would make a good gift. 

That when she saw it. Lucia froze in her tracks and looked into the shop window. On a mannequin was a black velvet choker with a small pink gem hanging off of it. She couldn’t pull her eyes off it. Her mind wandered a certain green maned lioness who no doubt would love the design of the jewelry. Lucia looked up to see the shop’s name. A snicker fell from her lips as she saw the logo above the door, Hot Topic. “of course.” She was pulled out of her thoughts by her name being called.

“Luciiiaaaa! C’moooon!” Luz was waving at her from the entrance to journeys. Lucia Spared one more glance at the necklace and walked up to where her sister was.

The pair spent close to three hours wandering the mall, mostly due to Luz’s attention being pulled to any and every shop they passed. Lucia mostly trailing behind the more excitable of the two. Luz dragged her older sister through a multitude of different shops. She made gift buying look easy. Lucia had picked up a few items here and there but only things for Luz and her mother so far. The plan to get more than just gift cards seemed to have failed.

The two were currently looking at bath soaps at one of the kyosts. Luz had a handful of bath bombs saying how one of their aunts would love them. Lucia’s eyes wandered around and Luz gave the cashier the last of her saved allowance. Then she froze. Her eyes landed on a large clock face hanging off the second-floor balconies. It read three-thirty. “Shit! Shit shit shit! Luz! We gotta go now!” Lucia grabbed Luz’s wrists and started pulling her back to the doors, Luz nearly tripping to keep up.

“Why what's the rush?” Luz asked, she sounded confused and alarmed. She picked up her pace and pulled her hand out of her older sister's grasp. “Also I’m coming, you don’t need to drag me. 

Lucia ran a hand through her hair “I lost track of time. We barely have enough time to get home. Plus with traffic… Ugh, we’re gonna be late.”

Luz had taken out her phone and was now checking the time. She blanched “Oh no! Mami’s gonna kill me if she knows I skipped school!” 

Lucia threw her hands up exasperatedly. “Yeah! Well, she’s gonna kill me more for helping you skip school! C’mon we gotta leave now!”

The two ran outside in a hurry. Lucia, not watching where she was going, nearly got hit by a car. The driver laid on their horn which resulted in a short-lived screaming match as Luz pulled her away. “We don’t have time for this right now!” Luz reminded her. It took a minute to find a car, which only heightened both of their anxiety.

Lucia peeled out of the parking lot the second both had closed the door. “Whoa, Lucia slow down! I haven't even buckled yet!” Lucia was steering with one hand and trying to buckle her own seat with the other. 

“No way. I need to get you home on time.” She said as she blazed through a yellow light that just turned red while overhead. Luz’s grip on the door tightened as Lucia merged onto the highway. She sped up and zoomed past the other traffic. 

Luz leaned over to read the speedometer, Ninety. Luz shrunk back into her seat eyes wide and a little bit scared for her life. “If we crash and die before getting home, Mom’s gonna haunt our ghosts!”

“Shut up shut up! I’ll get us home in time!” Lucia’s foot pressing slightly harder on the gas. She glanced at the clock in the dashboard, Quarter till four. Lucia pressed her foot further down on the gas making the engine roar. She didn’t even care how fast she was going, if she got pulled over it wouldn’t matter if it was one hundred or a hundred and twenty anyway. With the thought of being pulled over Lucia spared a glance in her mirrors. No sirens in view, at least for now. She hoped her luck would hold out  
In less than half the time it took getting to the mall Lucia has pulled off the highway. She kept to a slightly more sane speed the two neared their neighborhood. 

Luz and Lucia both held their breath as they made the last turn, From here they would be able to see their mother’s car if they had made it. Lucia glanced to the dashboard clock she had purposely not been looking at. Five minutes of five. She looked back to the road their house coming into view, No car in the driveway. Luz sided in relief and sunk into her seat. “Gracias a Dios…” she muttered to herself.

Lucia pulled into the driveway and shut off the engine and rested her forehead on her steering wheel. “We fucking made it….OW!” 

She shot up and rubbed her head. She glared at Luz who was holding an ashtray. “No swearing!” 

Lucia stared at her with a look of disbelief “Oh come on that earned a pass!” 

Luz shook her head firmly. “No way! Plus it was the f-bomb! ALSO I THOUGHT YOU QUIT SMOKING!?”

Lucia froze and looked away laughing nervously. “I did.. That’s… for my friends?”

“What friends?”

Lucia put a hand to her heart. “Wow don’t gotta call me out like that!” They both got out of the car and headed inside. Lucia hung up her jacket and flicked on the TV, some random sitcom rerun was playing. Luz grabbed a bag of chips and joined her. Not even two minutes later the front door opened. Luz and Lucia shared a look. 

“Hiya mami!” Luz called and looked over the back of the couch. “How was… work?” She shrunk back. Camilia was standing right behind the two arms crossed with a look to kill. “Mija. Tell me why the school called me saying you never showed up.” Lucia froze and turned to see her mother glare pinning both of them to the spot. Camilia looked furious. Lucia may have been seeing things but she swore she was the pits of hell swirling in her mother’s eyes. “Now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Luz and Lucia play hooky and go to the mall


End file.
